US army secretary Dan Driscoll steps down after 18 months in service

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has resigned after about 18 months in the post, becoming the latest senior military official to leave the Trump administration amid a sweeping shake-up of Pentagon leadership.The White House confirmed Driscoll’s departure on Monday but gave no reason for his resignation. A US Army official said Driscoll had spoken with President Donald Trump about the state of the Army before submitting his resignation. The Wall Street Journal first reported the development.The move comes after months of reported friction between Driscoll and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Driscoll, a close ally of Vice President JD Vance, had previously been seen as a rising figure within the administration and, at one point, as a potential alternative to Hegseth.The White House, however, praised Driscoll’s tenure, saying he had helped advance Trump’s defence agenda, strengthen Army readiness and lethality, support military operations and assist with US efforts to negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, reported AP.Driscoll’s resignation comes against the backdrop of an unusually turbulent period for the US Army and the wider Pentagon.In April, Hegseth abruptly removed Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, the service’s highest-ranking uniformed officer, along with two other senior generals. No detailed public explanation was given for the removals. Driscoll later described George as a “transformational leader” and told lawmakers that he and his family had gone to George’s home after his departure.Two months later, Gen Christopher Donahue, who headed US Army Europe and Africa, also left his post after an effort to extend his tenure failed. Donahue had served only about 18 months in the role and was regarded as one of the Army’s senior combat leaders.The churn has extended beyond the Army. Navy secretary John Phelan was forced out in April after reported clashes with Hegseth and his deputy, becoming the first head of a US military service to leave during Trump’s second term. Hegseth has also removed or pushed out numerous other senior generals and admirals since taking charge of the Pentagon.Driscoll had positioned himself as an advocate of faster military modernisation, particularly as cheap drones and counter-drone technology reshape warfare.He pushed for cutting bureaucratic delays in defence procurement and encouraged military units to develop and field new drone capabilities more quickly. But some of the initiatives he championed have since been rolled back.Under Gen Christopher LaNeve, who took over as the Army’s acting chief of staff after George’s removal, the service has moved to end a drone-modernisation effort that Driscoll had supported.Driscoll also took on an unusual diplomatic role for an Army secretary, becoming involved in the Trump administration’s efforts to broker an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.An Iraq War veteran and former tech investor, Driscoll served as an Army armour officer before entering Republican politics and later becoming an adviser to Vance. Trump nominated him in 2024, describing him as a “disruptor and change agent.” The Senate confirmed him in February 2025.His exit now adds another major name to a rapidly changing Pentagon leadership structure under Hegseth, with the Army experiencing some of the most significant turnover.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.